Alouettes cut Fletcher due to wealth of options at running back, says Maas
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When the Montreal Alouettes announced their final roster cuts ahead of Friday's season opener, there was one particularly surprising name on the list: veteran running back Walter Fletcher.
Fletcher, 28, ran for a career-high 764 yards on 141 carries (5.4-yard average) and four touchdowns in 17 games in 2024 — also both personal bests.
Alouettes head coach Jason Maas spoke about the decision to cut the star back in an appearance on the Morning Show on TSN690 on Wednesday.
"I don't know that it's anything that Fletcher, per se, did, because I believe in Walter Fletcher," Maas said. "I think he's an outstanding running back. I think he's a very capable in this league and a thousand yards, that's what you can get out of him if he stays healthy and you give him enough touches throughout the year. He did that for us last year, he was outstanding in my opinion."
The veteran of five CFL seasons has been a dual threat as a rusher and receiver in his time with the Edmonton Elks and Alouettes.
In 48 career CFL games, Fletcher has 351 carries for 1,818 yards on the ground and 145 catches for 1,388 yards receiving.
As much as Maas enjoyed having Fletcher in the lineup, he felt that the other running backs in camp showed enough to move on from the veteran. Stevie Scott III, Travis Theis and Tanner Nelmes each saw work in the preseason, and Maas is excited about what each player can offer in the backfield.
"When we looked at the three types of running backs that we have, they're built a little bit different than [Fletcher], they've got some youth on their side... they did their part to win a job, that's what I'll say,” Maas said.
But the veteran presence that Maas is hoping can steady the room is Sean Thomas Erlington. Thomas Erlington spend last season with the Alouettes, and he amassed 167 yards from scrimmage on 28 touches.
"Sean also [won the job], he's the experienced one of the three, and every single day he brought it,” Maas said. “That tipped the scales in the way we were thinking, if we were going to make that decision it has to ultimately be on Sean to be able to do it, carry the load, let these younger guys fill in. But Sean's the centre of that and made that decision to go away from Walter a little bit easier for us just because of the experience and the type of player that Sean has been.”
Montreal as a team averaged 84.3 yards per game rushing a season ago - second-lowest in the CFL. A rejuvenation of the running game would go a long way to lifting the Alouettes into the upper echelon of offensive production in the CFL this season. A revamped running back room may be the first ingredient to doing so - even if the decision to remake the room was a tough one for Alouettes brass.
"It was a difficult decision; it was not a decision I took lightly or [general manager] Danny [Maciocia] took lightly but I think it was the three of them and the way they performed in camp and not necessarily what Walter did," Maas said.